Buhari Has Refused To Appoint Tivs Into His Cabinet - Paul Unongo

The Deputy Chairman, Northern Elders’ Forum, Wantaregh Paul Unongo has alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari is marginalizing the Tiv ethnic group in his government as he has refused to appoint any Nigerian of Tiv extraction into his Cabinet.

While speaking with Sunday Sun the elder states man pointed out: “I am a Tiv man and there is no Tiv man in the Federal Executive Council of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I can prove to anybody that there are more than 12 million Tiv people across Nigeria. I can prove to anybody who is fair minded that we dominate at least three states in Nigeria. And we are in the Federal Capital Territory in large numbers.

“How can you be running a federal government where decisions about Nigeria are being discussed and such a huge group of people that made perhaps more impact at keeping Nigeria as one than any other single tribe is excluded from decision-making process. Is it right? No, it is not right.”

Unongo, who recently avowedly submitted his disapproval of the gender equality and ‎opportunity bill, suggested a Sovereign National Conference to review the history and present state of the nation in order to chart the right course forward.

The octogenarian went on to state: “This is why I said we need a Sovereign National Conference of nationalities in this country. And we need to be truthful to ourselves. What do we want? We want a good nation, let everybody be represented. Then, let’s discuss from the experiences we have had after staying together for 100 years.”